Two week wait for DNA test results on Moi Girls fire victims

September 4, 2017 3:05 pm

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Metal suitcases and beds as well as an assortment of other items scorched in a school fire/CFM

By JOSEPH MURAYA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 4- Parents who lost their children in the Moi Girls High School inferno on Saturday night will have to wait for two weeks for the DNA test results identifying them to come out.

Head of Chiromo Mortuary Dr Peter Gichangi says DNA samples will be collected Tuesday morning ahead of the two weeks postmortem exercise, that Gichangi cautions it may exceed the set timelines.

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“We will start at 8am…parents who may have unfortunately lost a child during that fire then should be here to provide those samples,” he said.

According to Gichangi, there are 8 bodies in the mortuary that will be identified after the post-mortem exercise.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the fire which broke out at the School was as a result of arson.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi on Monday said following the incident, credible leads are being followed to ensure that those who undertook the crime are brought to book.

“It is very unfortunate what happened at Moi Girls on Saturday… all investigations have ruled out that it was an accident. It was a case of arson,” he told journalists during a briefing on Monday.

He said the government will support the parents of those who were affected and ensure measures are put in place to ensure similar incidences do not recur.

The CS further said that the Education Ministry will be seeking to implement a proper legal framework to help Principals deal with disciplinary issues.

The school which has an estimated 1,183 students has been closed for two weeks to facilitate investigations on the incident where more than 50 students were injured with two having 50 percent burns.